'The Illusionists' is not your average magic show

When Dan Sperry’s childhood friends were mowing lawns and holding down paper routes to supplement their allowances, the magician and illusionist was using his first job to launch his career.

“I was 11 when I first started making money doing magic tricks at birthday parties and other events in North Central Minnesota,” explained Sperry, one of the seven stars of “The Illusionists: Live from Broadway,” which opens at the Boston Opera House April 4. “My mom worked in advertising in those days, so I had an ad in the Yellow Pages by the age of 13.”

Magic had captured Sperry’s attention even before he made it his job.

“I was 5 years old when my grandparents took me to see David Copperfield. Before I saw him for that first time, I had no idea that magic could be that theatrical with lighting and everything. It was a whole different kind of adrenaline rush. I can still remember thinking, ‘Why am I up so late? Why am I in the city so late at night? And why is there all this fog on stage?’”

With Copperfield as his inspiration and his early start on his professional life, Sperry – whose 2010 appearance on NBC-TV’s “America’s Got Talent” earned him more than 1 million YouTube views – has come a long way since his rural Midwestern upbringing, and magic has been a part of every step.

“Even as a kid, when I was doing traditional magic tricks that I’d gotten from a mail-order catalogue, and making up stories to go along with the tricks, I just assumed it would be my job forever,” said Sperry, 31, by telephone last week from a Cincinnati tour stop.

Often described as a cross between Copperfield and Marilyn Manson because of his Goth style – including nose rings, tattoos, heavy makeup, and often all-black attire – Sperry understands that he’s well outside the norm for most headliner magicians, especially those who bring their acts to Broadway.

“I had a double purple Mohawk at 17, so I’ve definitely never had the customary Clark Gable good looks. I’ve been pleasantly surprised, however, at how well my act goes over with the theater crowd. I know I look like a weirdo, but that disarms audiences and then they go on the adventure. I do what I do in my own style and I never set out to alienate anyone,” says Sperry, who makes his home in Las Vegas with his wife, Temika. “And about 99 percent of the time I get a very positive reaction.”

Sperry – the only illusionist ever honored with the title of “Most Original Magician” at the World Magic Awards – has long used his unusual appearance to introduce magic to new audiences.

“I started calling myself the ‘anti-conjurer’ back when I was opening for bands in Goth clubs. It was out of mild necessity, so that people of the alternative lifestyle culture wouldn’t be turned off by the idea of seeing a magic show. It was just a loose idea at the time, but it stuck.”

What also stuck was Sperry’s fresh approach to the age-old art of magic.

“Instead of being heavy on technical stuff, I’ve always been more about, ‘Is it going to be entertaining?’ You can make things disappear and the audience can be like, “So what?’ I want the audience to feel something and not just wonder, ‘Where did the coin go?’”

Sperry has been with “The Illusionists” since its 2012 premiere at the Sydney Opera House in Australia, and was featured in the show’s two Broadway engagements, in 2014 and 2016. On the current worldwide tour, he shares the stage with “The Manipulator,” Yu Ho-Jin; “The Trickster,” Jeff Hobson; “The Escapologist,” Andrew Basso; “The Inventor,” Kevin James; “The Weapon Master,” Ben Blaque; and “The Deductionist,” Colin Cloud.

“Each of us has a very different style. We co-exist, but we don’t compete. We’re all super dedicated to what we do and super passionate about the work. The success of the show relies on all of us. We want every show to be good and solid. It is our responsibility to do our best for the audience.”

When he plays Boston for the first time, Sperry will be bringing his custom brand of Shock Illusion.

“My set is a bunch of weird stuff involving candy bars and razor blades,” he says with a laugh. “When it comes to ‘The Illusionists,’ I always say it is a show for people who love magic shows and an even better time for people who don’t. It’s a very big production with live video and amazing lighting. The show happens all around you, too, so, wherever you’re seated, you’ll have the full experience.”